My name is John, and a few years ago, I decided to write a comic book to bringepilepsy awareness to children. I was diagnosed with epilepsy at the age of 16, andafter learning more, my mother and I realized that I had displayed symptoms mostof my life. The “petite mal” seizures I suffered as a child were mistaken for lack of awareness or response, and were the subject of great embarrassment, misunderstandings and ridicule!

By the time I was 18 (the mid 80's), I was no longer embarrassed by my epilepsy,after being made fun of and feeling anxious for many years. I began to look forways to overcome the anxiety and stigma, which I realized was still attached to this condition. When my oldest son turned 7, I wrote this story as away to help him understand more about epilepsy and how it affects people's lives.

A young woman, a classmate in college, began to cry after reading the script.I asked her mother, who was in class with us, what was wrong. She told me thather daughter had epilepsy but was afraid to tell people. The young woman explainedthat she identified with the things in the story because it reflected so many of her own experiences. Another gentleman had looked at thesample pages and wanted a copy to give his nephew who is still embarrassed abouthaving epilepsy.

After I let others read this script I received a lot of mixed reactions... all good.I believe this comic will help others by raising awareness of epilepsy among children,and would like to give it to all those it can help. I am asking for your help in creat-ing positive publicity in order to reach as many people as possible. I would like tosee this comic made available free of charge (in English and Spanish) to everyschool, hospital, specialist and child care facility across the country.

I wrote this story in Jamaica, in 2002, while on my honeymoon. In an odd twistof fate I had two seizures there and returned home late. When I got back home, mylife was changed forever. I lost my job in corporate America, and made it my mis-sion to start an awareness campaign about epilepsy. And the best way for me tostart would be in a medium near and dear to me... comics.

I knew from the start who I wanted to draw this little tale for me. There couldonly be one choice for me. So in the fashion best known to me, I start begging myfriend Rickman. After bugging him for almost six years he caved. Actually, his schedule finally opened up enough to fit this in and, being out of the comics indus-try for a while, he saw this as a great way to get back in and give something backto the community, all at the same time.

So now here we are in the final stages of development. We are looking to pub-lish this year, 2009. We are getting ready to start looking for donations andfunding to realize my goal of having copies in every child's hands, doctor's office,hospital, daycare... you get the idea.

What you have in your hands is the first printed version of our book. An “ashcan” if you will. Our intention is to print this comic at full size and in color. Currently we are still in progress, so please forgive us any typos or other mistakes... we’re still crafting here. To see our progress on this book and the rest of our magic, please visit www.ToteMan.net or www.PhantomInk.net. Thanks for reading!

A Letter From The Publisher

John McLarenJuly, 2009

Contact John McLaren at: JMcLaren@PhantomInk.netContact Rickman at: RickmanArt@Yahoo.comSee more ToteMan at: www.ToteMansWorld.com & www.PhantomInk.netSee more of Rickman’s work at: www.RickmanGrafx.com

That’s a satisfying end

to the day!

Now, off to see the kids and some...

ToteMan points Namstfarc, his magical flaming screwdriver, in the direction of home and flies off.

With his superior hearing ToteMan picks up children’s laughter.

That doesn’t sound like kids

playing... more like taunting!

Hey look! What’s wrong

with him?

ToteMan pauses to study the kids.

He’s possessed!

No! he’s break

dancing!

The child, who was just convulsing, is now eerily still. His eyes are open, but unfocused.

Geez! he’s not even potty

trained yet!

I think this baby needs

a diaper!

ToteMan touches down and the children grow silent.

The children’s eyes are wide and their mouths hang open. not in imitation of the fallen boy, but in awe of this superhero and his flaming screwdriver.

You kids run along home now!

Go on!

Go!

The remaining kids scurry home, unsure of what they have done wrong.

Yes. But it’s nothing to

be embarrassed about.

There are many people with the same condition.

One person in 1,000 has epilepsy and one in 100 will have a seizure in their lifetime.

So, you’re not the only one

and it’s not a joke, it’s an illness.

Do you know someone with

epilepsy?

I sure do. In fact I'll give you his name and number. You can

call him if you ever need to talk.

He’s a pretty cool

guy.

ToteMan gives Zach a card that seems to pop out of thin air.

meanWhile, back at home...

after a quick change...

I'm gonna kill him.

Where’s Da-da?

Steps To Tak

e If You Witness

Someone Having

A Seizure:

• Keep calm and r

eassure oth

er people who

may be nearb

y.

• Don't hold th

e person do

wn or try to

stop his m

ovements.

• Time the seizur

e with your watch.

• Clear the area

around the

person of

anything h

ard or sharp

.

• Loosen tie

s or anythin

g around the

neck

that may make br

eathing diffi

cult.

• Put something

flat and so

ft, like a

folded jack

et (or cape

), under the

head.

• Turn him or he

r gently ont

o one side.

This will help

keep the ai

rway clear.

• Do not try t

o force the

mouth open

with any hard

implement or with fin

gers.

• A person

having a

seizure

CANNOT swallow their ton

gue.

Efforts to ho

ld the tongu

e down can

injure tee

th or jaw.

• If the s

eizure lasts

more than 5 mins

call an a

mbulance.

• Stay with the perso

n until the s

eizure

ends na

turally. Be frien

dly and

reassurin

g as conscio

usness retu

rns.

Hey Kids!Here’s some important

information aboutEpilepsy!

1. You can swallow your tongue during a seizure. It's physically impossible to swallow your tongue.

2. You should force something into the mouth of someone having a seizure. Absolutely not! That's a good way to chip teeth, puncture gums, or even break someone's jaw. The correct first aid is simple. Just gently roll the person on one side and put something soft under his head to protect him from getting injured.

3. You should restrain someone having a seizure.Never use restraint! The seizure will run its course and you cannot stop it.

4. Epilepsy is contagious.You simply can't catch epilepsy from another person.

5. Only kids get epilepsy.Epilepsy happens to people over age 65 almost as often as it does to children aged ten and under. Seizures in the elderly are often the after effect of other health problems like stroke and heart disease.

6. People with epilepsy are disabled and can't work.People with the condition have the same range of abilities and intelligence as the rest of us. Some have severe seizures and cannot work; others are successful and productive in challenging careers.

7. People with epilepsy shouldn't be in jobs of responsibility and stress.People with seizure disorders are found in all walks of life and at all levels in business, government, the arts and the professions. We aren't always aware of them because many people, even today, do not talk about having epilepsy for fear of what others might think.

8. With today's medication, epilepsy is largely a solved problem.Epilepsy is a chronic medical problem that for many people can be successfully treated. Unfortunately, treatment doesn't work for everyone and there's a critical need for more research.

9. Epilepsy is rare and there aren't many people who have it.There are more than twice as many people with epilepsy in the US as the number of people with cerebral palsy (500,000), muscular dystrophy (250,000), multiple sclerosis (350,000), and cystic fibrosis (30,000) combined. Epilepsy can occur as a single condition, or may accompany other conditions affecting the brain, such as cerebral palsy, mental retardation, autism, Alzheimer's, and traumatic brain injury.

10. You can't die from epilepsy.Epilepsy is still a very serious condition and individuals do die from seizures. Experts estimate that prolonged seizures (status epilepticus) are the cause of 22,000 to 42,000 deaths in the US each year. In a major study of status epilepticus, 42% of deaths occurred in individuals with a history of epilepsy.

11. You can't tell what a person might do during a seizure.Seizures commonly take a characteristic form and the individual will do much the same thing during each episode. His behavior may be inappropriate for the time and place, but it is unlikely to cause harm to anyone.

12. People with epilepsy are physically limited in what they can do.In most cases, epilepsy isn't a barrier to physical achievement, although some individuals are more severely affected and may be limited in what they can do. Professional sports players with epilepsy have included Greg Walker (Chicago White Sox - baseball), Bobby Jones (Denver Nuggets & Philadelphia '76ers - basketball), and Gary Howatt (New York Islanders -hockey).

Various Types Of Epileptic Seizures

Hey Kids!These are the

most common typesof seizures!

Tonic-clonic seizureAlso called Grand Mal.

What It Looks LikeSudden cry, fall, rigidity, followed by muscle jerks, shal-low breathing or temporarily suspended breathing,bluish skin, possible loss of bladder control. Usuallylasts a couple of minutes. Normal breathing then startsagain. There may be some confusion and/or fatigue. Followed by return to full consciousness.

Complex partialAlso called psychomotor or temporal lobe.

What It Looks LikeUsually starts with blank stare, followed possibly bychewing, followed by random activity. Persons appearunaware of surroundings, may seem dazed and maymumble. Unresponsive. Actions often clumsy, not directed. May pick at clothing, pick up objects, try totake clothes off. May run, appear afraid. May struggleor flail at restraint. Once pattern established, same setof actions usually occur with each seizure. Lasts a few minutes, but post-seizure confusion can last substantially longer. No memory of what happenedduring seizure period.

AbsenceAlso called petit mal

What It Looks LikeA blank stare, lasting only a few seconds, most common in children. May be accompanied by rapidblinking, some chewing movements of the mouth. Childhaving the seizures is unaware of what's going on during the seizure, but quickly returns to full awareness once it has stopped. May result in learningdifficulties if not recognized and treated

Atonic seizuresAlso called drop attacks

What It Looks LikeA child or adult suddenly collapses and falls. After 10 seconds to 1 minute he recovers, regains consciousness, and can stand and walk again.

Simple partialAlso called Jacksonian or Partial Sensory

What It Looks LikeJerking begins in fingers or toes. Can't be stopped bypatient, but patient stays awake and aware. Jerkingmay proceed to involve hand, arm and sometimesspreads to whole body and becomes a convulsiveseizure.

Partial sensory seizures may not be obvious to an onlooker. Patient experiences a distorted environment.May see or hear things that aren't there. May feel unexplained fear, sadness, anger, or joy. May have nausea, experience odd smells and have a generally"funny" feeling in the stomach

ToteMan Trading Cards!

Awareness can be the most important tool to in helping the “one out of 10 chil-dren who will experience an epileptic seizure in their lifetime" (www.epilepsy-foundation.org/about). Please join ToteMan©, in the quest to ease the impactto the over 45,000 children under the age of 15 who will develop epilepsyeach year.

Symptoms of an epileptic seizure can be as un-noticeable as a distant andblank stare lasting only a few moments and as severe and uncontrollable muscle spasms which can pose a serious threat if the properassistance is not given right away. Too often, children who have seizures areteased or have improper care given by the people they spend the most timearound… their friends and schoolmates… because they simply don’t know whatto do. This can cause embarrassment, injury, or worse.

ToteMan teaches epilepsy awareness to children by capturing their imaginationwith comic book stories that can help them learn how to react when they encounter an epileptic seizure. Many of our readers (some suffering fromepilepsy, and their families) have responded that ToteMan comic book storieshave made a positive difference in improving understanding of epilepsy amongstchildren. We believe this information should be free of charge, and made available wherever children play, learn, and heal.

Production planning for free distribution of ToteMan comic stories to schools,daycare centers and hospitals will be underway with our flagship issue and helpis needed to support this awareness campaign. Please help provide understanding to those affected by, and witness to epileptic episodes.

The onset of epilepsy is often without warning, and can occur while walkingdown the street, playing sports, or even just sitting in the classroom. Eachchild who benefits from the lessons and fun in ToteMan stories can thankthose who choose to help dispel some of the myths, and ease the worry of howto react when faced this serious malady.

Please contact us at ToteMan@totemansworld.com and visit ToteMan’s website, www.toteman.net, to learn more about ToteMan, epilepsy awareness, andhow you can help ToteMan make a difference in a child’s life by providing thisinformation at no cost to children.

You can be a hero, too!Help ToteMan help children everywhere!

Special thank you to:

For sponsoring this commemorative edition

of ToteMan

Hey Kids!How many of

these famous peopledo you know?

Sir Walter ScottSocratesTruman CapoteVladimir LeninAdam HorovitzFlorence Griffith JoynerHarriet TubmanJoan of ArcHugo WeavingVincent van GoghSir Isaac NewtonNeil YoungNapoleon Bonaparte

Agatha ChristieCharles DickensAlexander the GreatDanny GloverAlfred NobelMichelangeloLeonardo Da VinciJulius CaesarEdgar Allen PoeAristotleTheodore RooseveltBud AbbottLewis Carrol

Richard BurtonGeorge Frederick HandelCharles V of SpainPythagorasHannibal James Madison Lord ByronLouis XIII of FranceMargaux HemingwayMartin LutherPaul I of RussiaPeter TchaikovskyPeter the Great

For more information on Epilepsy visit:www.EpilepsyFoundation.org

or call: 1-800-332-1000